There’s never a dull moment at Picasso’s Bar and Restaurant in Coronado, and this weekend was no exception.  A well-known rock band from Panama City called INVICTA, packed the house.  With a collection of classical rock songs that spanned the ages, the music transported the crowd back to the yesterdays of their youth.  With some Swing dancing, swaying, gyrating and belly rubbing on the dance floor, the music rocked the quiet, little beach community.

As the word “invicta” in Spanish indicates, this group is always victorious and undefeated as a favorite among both expats and locals alike.  The musicians have been performing together since they were kids and sing in Spanish and English to appeal to both expats and locals alike.  

One of the best places to Kiteboard in Panama is a long peninsula off the Pacific coast called Punta Chame. The long strip of land takes you out to Nitro City, Travis Pastrana’s action sports resort. The resort draws big name kiters like Youri Zoon, the current world champion of kiteboarding.

Each year athletes head to Punta Chame to take advantage of the calm bay and strong winds. On windy days kites can be seen dancing about the peninsula from kilometers away.

At the tail end of the kiting season, friends of mine Brais and Geraldine were passing through Coronado on their way to Costa Rica. Brais was egger to get some surfing in, but with no waves on the Pacific coast, he had high hopes there would be wind.

Science is a way of understanding the world around us by asking questions and making educated guesses in order to draw a conclusion.  It doesn’t exactly prove anything since all ideas are subject to change once new evidence is found.  

Recently a group of students at Panama Coast International School (PCIS) in Gorgona had the opportunity to participate in their first ever Science Fair.  The PCIS Science Fair was held on Tuesday at California Burger in Coronado from 4-6 in the afternoon.

“Summoning Worlds” is an international project that will bring together over 250 national and international artists to showcase their work in 65 different places throughout Panama City. Art installations will appear throughout the city from April 15th until May 30th in various public spaces, museums and cultural landmarks.

The Figali Convention Center, Amador Causeway, and Tocumen International Airport will all partake in the event. In Casco, art will be displayed at the National Institute of Culture, Casa Gongora, the Interoceanic Museum, the National Theatre, the Anita Villalaz Theatre, the Juan Manuel Cedena Gallery, Plaza Francia and Arco Chato.

For the past year, Panama A/V has been offering the SONOS Wireless HiFi solution. SONOS is a perfect audio solution for the Panama’s concrete building construction. Now SONOS has released the PLAYBAR for wireless HiFi Home Theater, making your investment in SONOS a wise one.

The Sonos Wireless HiFi System lets you stream all the music on earth wirelessly in every room of your home with control from your laptop, Android® smartphone, iPhone®, or iPad®. In addition to playing your personal digital music collection, Sonos gives you access to millions of songs and thousands of radio stations.

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1. We have 3 editions of the paper out now. Have you seen all 3 editions?

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To get to Coronado by bus, go to Allbrook mall - the national bus terminal is on the south side of the mall. A taxi will drop you off in front of the terminal. From the airport a taxi is around $35.00, there is also a bus from the airport that will take you to the terminal.
 
1.  Go into the terminal and look for a booth that says "Anton" or "San Carlos".  Ask for tickets to Coronado.  No matter what your level of Spanish is, just saying "Coronado" will do.  The cost should be $3.00 per ticket for the Anton bus, or $2.50 for the San Carlos bus.
 
2.  Exit the terminal to the south (through small hallways the opposite of where you came in.) There is a 10 cent terminal tax to exit and most people use a card that has cash on it.  Just look around and you will notice someone that is using their own card to let people through.  They do this for a courtesy to gringos.  I usually pay them double for not having to hassle with standing in another line and buying a card that you won't ever need again.  Call it a tip for them being nice.

Since there’s no Multiple Listing Service (MLS) in Panama buying property here can be difficult.  A perspective client must go from one real estate office to the next, comparing properties and dealing with more than one agent at a time.

Recently a group of realtors joined forces in an effort to create a Real Estate Alliance here in the beach communities.  The meeting organized by Corrin Skubin of Try Panama Real Estate would be the first of many.  The thinking behind this endeavor is to create an alliance that real estate agents and brokers can join, under the guidance of a board of directors.  Each applicant would be required to submit an application listing his or her qualifications along with letters of reference.  All agents would pay a nominal fee on a monthly or yearly basis to belong to the alliance.  

Driving over the bridge of the Americas catch a glimpse of the Biodiversity Museum, an architectural icon in Panama. The colourful metal building, designed by world-renowned Architect Frank Gehry, will be the first of its kind in Latin America.

The Arial view is somewhat chaotic. Up close, the building seems out of place, sitting besides an old Canal Zone building. Since Gerhy’s work usually reflects the country it stands in, I was curious how the bio museum reflected Panama.

Every Saturday, tours of the construction site are open to the public. I decided to take a tour with some friends. We met a group of design students and Margo Lopez, the museum's communications director, to learn about the museum.

As the sunset over the beaches of Gorgona, a small group of its citizens geared up for a basketball game in the town center under the stars.  On Friday night the citizens of Gorgona faced off against the National Police in another basketball game sponsored by Vecinos Vigilantes.

Donned in bright yellow and black uniforms, the police looked sharp and ready to play. Both teams dribbled and dunked aggressively determined to out play the other and walk away with the bragging rights of victory.  What started as a little friendly competition ended in some rough play which the referee called out as a “foul.”  Although the score remained close throughout the game, in the end the citizens of Gorgona forfeited the game supposedly because of the rough play with a final score of 27-25.  

Organized by Vecinos Vigilantes of Gorgona, these games provide a fun way to interact with the community and raise a little money too.  Hotdogs, snacks and drinks were sold for a nominal fee, and all proceeds benefit the organization.  

Anyone that would like to participate in future games can contact Jim Rizik at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Those of us that choose to move our lives to Panama all knew well in advance, that we may become a target for crime here.  The fact that we have what it takes to move to this country,  puts us in a higher economical category than most locals, and that puts us at risk. So instead of sitting around waiting to become victimized, let’s all become part of the solution and not the problem.  

That was the message behind the second organized safety meeting held at La Ruina on Friday, April 19, 2013.  Organized by former law enforcement officials Jim Rizik and Perry McMullin the meeting was sadly lacking in local authorities.  Jim sent out letters inviting the Governor of Panama to attend along with the Ministry of Security and the Mayor of Panama City who owns property in this area.  Neither made an appearance but rumor had it that there was an important meeting today in Penonome too, so perhaps they were busy with that?  

What is the coverage of the insurance?

Your insurance protects you within the basic coverage when you face the following events:

Your residence catching fire as long as it not is originated by the risks expressly excluded in your insurance.

Damages from the water while suffocating the fire or for the efforts displayed specifically to control said fire.

The Impact of lightning, which generates a fire.

Damages due to smoke and soot from the fire and also if was originated in residence contiguous to yours.

The explosion of any type except those caused by boilers, internal combustion engines or pressurized devices.

Yesterday (Wednesday, April 17, 2013) brought an end to Panama’s International Film Festival (IFF). Closing ceremonies took place in Casco Viejo, celebrating films from all over the world. This year three Panamanian films had screenings at the festival. Paraiso for Sale, directed by Anayansi Prado. Reinas, directed by Ana Endara Mislov. And Maids and Bosses directed by Abner Benaim.

All three films were documentaries, each discussing an aspect Panamanian life. The films gave viewers an inside look to the cultural traditions, values, political systems and beliefs held surrounding specific practices in Panama.

In Paraiso For Sale we were taken to the islands of Bocas Del Toro, to discuss the complications that surround land titles. We were given the chance to see the situation through the eyes of locals, expats as well as the investors interested in buying land. The film was eye opening. It spoke to political struggles, indigenous rights and the future of tourism in Panama. It presented an argument for a land crisis in Panama, one that would endanger the environment, local traditions and the people of Panama.

Simon Levesque & Mimi Legros made the move to Panama from Ottawa, Canada in September 2011. On April 16th, they had guests staying over. In the early hours of the 16th, their home was broken into by 4 or possibly 5 people, with covered faces. At least 2 people carried guns. The homeowners and guests were told to lie down on the ground. Some were tied up. Blankets were placed over everyone. The emptied the house of all the belongings.  Watches, jewelry, tvs, cameras, computers, cash. The entire episode took about 45 minutes. The men left the house with all the valuables but not before poisoning both dogs. One of which survived. The neighbor's dogs were also poisoned, however the neighbor's house was not broken into. During the course of the robbery, Simon heard one of the men talking to someone over what the thinks is a cell phone.

"Im still alive. They didn't hurt me or my wife. I am grateful for that, but I am mad. They stole everything. I want to get them." Said Simon. The family is in the process of reporting the crime to the DIJ.

A number of details that we have been hearing about how the robbers operate is the same, such as, wearing masks, carrying guns and in communication with someone from the outside. It is difficult to say if the person on the outside is someone keeping watch or someone giving orders.

El Cielo Spa located inside the Coronado Hotel has recently undergone some changes. New services and treatments have been added and renovations completed, giving way to a full luxury spa experience in the heart of Coronado.

The tranquil waiting room is dimly lit giving visitors a calming place to unwind before their treatments begin. Fresh lemon infused water and complimentary tea or coffee is available. El Cielo Spa is staffed with certified massage therapists, cosmetologist, hairdressers and estheticians.